Leonid as l



FUNNEL.

-APPL!CATION FILED APR. 14. 1919.

Patented June 10, 1919;

aww/wboz A eorrzfdg A 72 7 LEONIDAS n. TIT'ILE, .13., or DAYTON, OHIO.

FUNNEL.

Specification of Letters l-I'atent.

Patented June 10, 1919.

Application filed April 14, 1919. Serial No. 289,923.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, LEONIDAS L. TITTLE, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of ()hio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Funnels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to packaging liquids, and moreespecially to funnels; and the object of the same is to produce a measuring cup having a normally closed spout in its bottom, and manually operable means for-opening said spoutto convert the cup into a funnel. i

The invention contemplates the employment of means on the body of the cup for measuring the contents as usual, and also it includes means for permitting the operation of opening the spout, by movement of the thumb when his fingers hold the handle.

Details are set forth in the following specification, and attention is invited to the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of this device complete.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section looking toward the rear or handle side of the cup.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a cup having a pouring lip 2 at its front side and a handle 3 at its rear side, and this cup is stamped with lines 4 with numerals marked adjacent, so as to indicate the contents by the liquid level within the cup.

The numeral 5 designates legs depending from the bottom of the cup so as to hold it raised above a support suchas a table top.

The numeral 6 designates a spout which preferably tapers downward slightly as shown, and is shorter than the legs 5 so that the latter will hold the tip of the spout ofi of the table or support. The bottom 1 of the cup descends slightly from all sides toward its center as best seen in Fig. 2, and the upper end of the spout opens through the dropped center of this bottom at the point 6 and is secured thereto in any appropriate manner. Thus the liquid within the cup will all run out the spout when the latter'is open. Within its upper end is a valve in the shape of a rubber plug 7 which is preferably slightly conical as seen in Fig.

2 and of a size to fit closely in the upper end of the spout when borne down into the same, and at this time the flow of the liquid from the cup is checked. Means are provided (as described below) for holding the plug normally in the'position shown, and while it remains there and closes the spout, the cup may be used in the ordinary manner, the lines 4 on its body being useful for measuring the contents in a manner well understood.

'Fastened through or to the plug is an upright rod or stem 8 which, at a point just above the plug is carried horizontally and radially therefrom as seen at 8 in Fig. 3, until it reaches a point adjacent the wall of the cup. Here it is given a rightangular bend and carried then upward as at '8 its upper end being formed into a loop or handle 12 standing adjacent the cup-handle 3. For guiding the main portion 8 of this rod, a piece of strap metal is secured to the back of the cup and bent forward at its upper and lower ends, the forwardly bent portion being pierced with eyes constituting guides 10 and 11 through which the rod passes freely. Through the rod is a pin 14, above which a spring 13 is coiled upon the rod between the pin and the upper guide 11, and the expansive tendency of this spring normally throws the rod downward and therefore normally keeps the valve or plug 7 within the upper end of the spout.

While the rod may have any appropriate cross section, I prefer to make it round, as shown. As a round rod might rotate within the guides 10 and 11 and therefore its arm 8 might throw the plug 7 out of alinement with the upper end of the spout, I employ means for preventing such rotation and such contingency. This consists in a rod or strip of metal 9 curved to conform with the curvature of the wall of the cup 1, its midlength being formed into an eye 9 which embraces the upright portion 8" of the rod and is fastened thereto in any appropriate manner. In the present instance I have shown a pin 9 passing through the eye and the rod 8" although I do not consider this form of attachment absolutely necessary. The ends or arms of the element 9 slide upon the inner face of the wall of the cup as the rod rises and falls, and. therefore said rod cannot r0- tate within the guides 10 and 11. The result is that the plug 7 is always held directly in line with the axis of the spout 6.

In operation, the user; grasps the xmain handle With the fingers of his hand and inserts his thumb through the loop 12 and the cup can now be used for'measuring purposes or otherwise as desired. When occasion arises Where the contents of the cup are to be delivered, as for instance into thenmouth 15 receptacle. 'As soon asaupvvard impulse on the thumb' is relaxed or the th-umb' with drawn from: the loop12, the spring acts to slidethe rod, downward" through its guides and thearms ofthe strip 9 slide downward on the Wall'of the cup, so that hheplug-is reseated in the upper" end of the spout and,

further flow of liquid fromi the 1 cup is "pre- 'vented. i

lF-he foregoing description andi' the drawings have' reference to vvhatmay' bemonsid- "ered the preferred, or approved :form of-my -invention. It eisto he understood that I may makesuch changes in eonstruetiowand arrangement and combinationofparts, Inat'e'ria'ls, dimensions, etscetera, as mayiprove expedient and fallqvithm the scope of the appended claim.

lowermost-guide andihavin In a device of the character descrihed,

the combination with a cuphaving a cy: lindrical body, "its bottom descending from said body to the center and there having an opening, legs depending from the cup, a spoutshorter than the legs and whose upper end engages said opening, and a z'main 40 whandleonirthe cup; of guides within the Wall of the cup in line with'its main handle, a rod slidably meuntedwthrough saidr guides .and- --.vvithi its lower'renfdiearried=--radia1ly? in- Wai doverthe' bottom of the-eup1andturntid 5 doWnWa12d, :a '"plug'seoured to the -.d(' 'iv=ntunned endofsthe-rod and adapted' toclose the u pper' end OfgthGWSPOllt'flfl pinthro'ugh the rod f betwe'enr :saidEgu-ides, ran expansive spring-coiled on the-rod between the pin and i the upper guitlei andq-normallyi seating-the plug in the-spouQT-a loop, atii-the upper end of the' rod,-an dha :st-rip ,rhaving-anz eye at'its scenter 'nigidlyjmoumtecl:on the rod :leel'ovxfitli'e its arinsgeurved 5 thee-cup as the to slide Within the W2L1l-0 rodeand plugpriseuarndpfall. a a 1 V i In testimony \vvhereoif; I aaifiae (my? signature 'inwpresenc'e-iofwtwo Witnesses.

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